I thought about it a lot and decided to write this. There’s simply too much haggling at dental clinics, too little respect for the doctor and for one’s own health. Is your health really that cheap???
- Hello.
- I want a tooth pulled – how much is it?
- From 15 to 30 lari, depending on complexity.
- ?! What?! You could have at least said 10… At …. clinic they pull teeth for 7 lari.
The patient headed for the exit.
- Excuse me, madam – I’m a dentist. If you don’t mind, I’ll take just 5 minutes of your time; I’d like to ask you a few questions.
Surprised, the woman stopped and looked up at the young doctor, a little distrustfully, but without breaking the rules of courtesy she replied: “I’m listening, sir.”
- First of all, I apologize again for holding you up. I’ll start with a simple question: do you cut your hair at home or do you go to a salon?
- ?! What does that have to do with anything? At a salon.
- And how much do you pay for a simple haircut? Without any highlights, coloring or special-occasion styling?
- About 15 lari.
- Very good. What complications could follow a haircut?
Without waiting for the woman, he answered himself: “At worst they’ll cut it badly, you’ll slam the door and never go back to that barber – sorry, stylist. Have you heard of, or do you know about, the complications that can follow a seemingly “simple” tooth extraction? You’re probably curious? Well then: fainting, collapse, an allergic reaction to medication, bleeding, a fractured tooth root, perforation of the maxillary sinus floor, a jaw
fracture – not to mention dangerous diseases that can be passed on to you if sterilization is poor. Some of these complications depend on the doctor’s experience and knowledge, and some may happen entirely by chance. Let’s start from the beginning: ideally we shouldn’t feel the needle, so topical anesthesia is needed (lidocaine spray or a flavored gel); the needle should be thin and small, the instruments of course sterile, and the doctor experienced – ideally with a touch of gray hair. The tooth must be removed flawlessly, painlessly and cheaply???? How do you imagine all of that together? I don’t want to insult clinics that pull teeth for 3-5 and 7 lari, but how? At what cost?”
- A guarantee? Do you give a guarantee?
- What guarantee? Ask for a guarantee when you get a tooth pulled for 5 lari. You aren’t insured against accidental complications at 15 or 30 lari either. Are you guaranteed to have no health problems? Can you guarantee that you’ll see a dentist every 6 months, have preventive check-ups and follow the minimum hygiene requirements? A small digression: one of my patients cleaned out the wound of a freshly extracted tooth with a feather from their beloved parrot, because food had got into it… and there are a million cases like that.
My request is that you keep in mind that the doctor is dealing with your own health. In this case, your mouth – the beginning of the digestive tract and a vitally important organ – depends on them. Of course, your cooperation and following all of the doctor’s advice are essential. Only by working together can the goal be achieved. After all, your smile is the key to your success. We wish you good health
